Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe was delighted with their 3-1 win at Aston Villa on Tuesday night.

Newcastle had Fabian Schar to thank as the Swiss defender scored twice on the night.

Howe said: "It was mixed emotions for me because that team is an elite team. The mixed part is that we haven't seen that for a number of weeks. We looked much like ourselves and we have players coming back.

"Our game plan was to be aggressive and stop their rhythm. We did that well in the first half. They play a high line and we used that well. We had to adjust our plan when they got the goal but the players saw it out well. When you're coaching a team, you want them to play how you see the game. That has been there but it's been frustrating. Today I saw the team and the identity we're looking for."

"When the team is not getting the results, it is easy for the supporters to change. They ahve never done that during this run we've been on. Hopefully we've made that worthwhile for them tonight."

On Schar goals, he added: "Great to see him back on the scoresheet tonight because he's been a bit quiet. It's a great finish. It was a good defensive performance and it had to be

"We know every game is so tough in the Premier League and we will look to use this game to push on now. The only disappointment today is Alex." [Injury to Isak]